What it’s like to run on the Carnival Magic’s outdoor track

It’s been two-and-a-half-months since Dr. Awesome benched me because he (and since then, another doc) diagnosed me with micro tears on my calf muscle, yet I’m still working out four or five times per week and sweating as much as ever.

I had to take some time off in the beginning, but I’ve been cleared to increase my activity, using pain as my guide. Translation: any pain = stop. So far, so good.

Since I’m not spending a chunk of my weekend mornings running double-digits, I seem to have a little more time on my hands. I’ve invested that time painting most of the inside of our house, including our loft, which we’ve been wanting to turn into our gym.

So el husbando and our favorite 21-year-old moved the treadmill and our bike around so I can be right by the window, under the ceiling fan, and still have enough room to spread out my yoga mat. It’s awesome and long overdue!

Here’s what else I’ve been up to:

Swimming

Never, ever, ever thought I would try swimming, nor that I would enjoy it. It is HARD work and I’m easily winded by even the shortest swim. But I’m doing it once a week, and loving it.

A local gym offers a skills-and-drills class as part of its triathlon team, so I’m re-learning how to swim properly, including how to be more efficient, so that I can spend less energy on what is typically the first leg in a tri. Our coach has been incredibly patient with this newbie swimmer, and I’ve only had to buy a couple of things, including proper goggles.

My friend Michelle was right when she said this would be a good fit for me. The only thing that I’m struggling with is, not surprisingly, the whole wet-hair issue, post-swim. I have to come home to wash and dry my hair, making this quite the production.

biking

Yet another form of exercise I didn’t expect to enjoy remotely, but that is becoming easier and more enjoyable. When el husbando and I first got the Peloton, I was skeptical about how much we would use it, but I’m up to four rides per week — from 30-minutes to a full hour. And today, I added a 10-minute arms workout that left my arms feeling like Jell-O.

Currently considering ordering a second pair of cycling shorts. I should note that, yes, you do eventually learn how to sit properly on the thing so your nether regions don’t hurt.

Yoga-ing

I was just cleared to do yoga less than two weeks ago, but I’ve managed to spend a bit of time on the mat. Surprisingly, both my shoulder and my leg felt just fine afterward.

My cat was especially happy that she could stretch out on the yoga mat.

running

Wait, what?! Yeah, I ran for a whole 10 minutes at physical therapy last week and it felt like Christmas morning.

The therapist hooked me up to the Alter G, an anti-gravity treadmill. First, you wear some super-tight shorts over your clothes, then get zipped into a donut-shaped contraption in the middle of the treadmill.

Once you’re securely in the donut, the machine fills with air, taking off a percentage of your weight off. So, basically, with the machine, you can weigh, say, 40 lbs. less.

It feels like you’re walking or running on air. You feel really light, which is the whole point because your body is taking a whole less pounding than on a regular treadmill. Since I felt so good on the ‘mill, the therapist said that I may be able to start using it for longer periods of time. If she clears me, I may sign up to use the Alter G out-of-pocket for a few weeks until I can run on my own.

This new development has be excited that I might be running — even just a little — by the beginning of the year.

So, how are y’all moving these days? Do you have any running- or non-running-related goals? (You may have to click on “Continue Reading” to leave a comment.)

Quick post to share that I went to a swim class and, if the only photo I was able to take is any proof, it left me a bit deranged.

I snuck this picture in the changing room after making sure no one else was around, but I heard the door open and there was no time for retakes.

Back to the swimming. I am still benched from tearing my calf muscle, so I haven’t run in more than a month. And it’s driving me more than a little loopy. Sure, I’ve been riding the Peloton bike (love me some Cosby Rigby and his Latin music class!) but it’s just not my thing.

A friend (hello, Michelle M.) has been suggesting I try a triathlon because, well, because we tend to make bad choices together. Michelle actually did her first 50K with us in September.

So, I checked out some local tri teams and settled on Court One because they have an evening class on Wednesdays that I can actually take.

It. Was. Hard.

I was breathless after swimming 25 yards (I think it was yards), let alone doing it over and over. I did it in what we called a frog swim when we were kids. Then the coach gave me some pointers and had me work on my kicks, arm strokes and, at last, putting my face in the water.

We used both a yellow kick board and some sort of foam floatie that goes between your legs. I was breathless every single time. In fact, the coach’s 11-year-old was having lots of fun lapping me over and over. And she wasn’t even trying!

In the end, I felt like I got a great workout, the water wasn’t as cold as I was expecting and I didn’t die.

So, I plan to go back. Still deciding about the rest of the tri team training, since we do have the bike st home and I prefer to run outside with my friends.

So, swimmers: any tips? What kind of goggles do you like? How can I keep my hair from getting wet despite wearing a cap? Do I really need a proper Speedo or can I keep wearing my mom suit? (You may have to click on “Continue Reading” to leave a comment.)

We plan, we train, we sacrifice. For months at a time, we make races our priority, making sure we get our miles — and cross training — in while taking care of our familias, work and other responsibilities.

Reaching that finish line makes all of the trouble worth it.

But what happens when you do all the things…and can’t do the race because you’re injured?

Just three days before the Detroit Free Press Marathon, I got benched. I pouted.

My right calf had felt tight until about a month before when I had to walk quite a bit of one of my runs because it just hurt. The pain subsided and I was able to run the rest of the way and I did the whole rest, ice, compression and anti-inflammatory routine when I got home. I babied the leg for a few days and got back to training.

About three weeks later, the same thing happened the weekend before Detroit, except that the pain got worse and didn’t really go away. I walked a couple of miles back from the day’s long run. I did all the things again, but didn’t get better, so I called Dr. Awesome and he was able to squeeze me in.

Boy, was I relieved. He can fix it, I thought, and then I can run 26.2 miles. After all, I had plans to go to the expo, meet other Bib Rave Pro ambassadors and spend the night in a hotel with my runner friends.

Not so much. Instead, I was diagnosed with a micro-tear in my right calf. A very minor injury — but only if I took a short break and allowed it to heal. Running the marathon, Dr. Awesome assured me, would mean a much-more-serious injury and longer recovery time.

I did the math and sat the race out. Sure, I’ve been injured before and have spent many a week wishing I were running. But this one was extra painful because I have been looking forward to running Detroit for so long. And I had plans, dang it!

In fact, it was my goal race for 2018 and my whole training plan revolved around it. I also got to train with Gatorade Endurance because that’s what was going to be available on course.

What’s a chica to do?

Suck it up, butter cup.

As with all other injuries, I went through the stages of grief and moved on. This time, I listened to the doc right away and did what was best for my body. (I also talked to my sports med doc at Dr. Awesome’s suggestion and he, too, agreed with the protocol: no running or walking; avoiding stairs and anything that makes my calf hurt in the least. If things don’t get better, I’ll have to wear a — gasp! — boot.)

After resting for a week, I’ve been riding the Peloton bike, which helps a bit with my stress levels, tho I am most-definitely noticing that I am more jacked up than normal and I’ve not slept well since I stopped running.

On race day, I made sure to keep myself super busy with chores, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my friends’ accomplishments on social media. So many did their first full or achieved personal records that day.

Now a few days later, I’m still mourning a bit. But I’m moving on. I start physical therapy on Monday and am considering swimming lessons once a week at a local gym to increase my cross-training and, possibly, doing a triathlon next year. Because I may be mourning not being able to run, but I’m also realizing that I’m going to have to take care of my body if I want to keep racking up those miles.

Have you had to forego a race because you got injured at the last minute? What did you do? What type of cross-training do you do? (You may have to click on “Continue Reading” to leave a comment.)

I’ve wanted a tattoo to commemorate my first marathon for the past four years, but really couldn’t settle on a design. How could I pick something that encapsulated my training, suffering and achievement?

So I stalled. I did a ton of research about designs, styles and post-tattoo care, but really couldn’t find much information about what it’s really like to get a tattoo. You know, the kind of details you really want to know about.

And since we’ve established that there’s really nothing I’m not willing to share (exhibit A), here’s how it went.

How did I find an artist?

I asked friends whose tattoos I admired, then I cyberstalked a few tattoo shops in town. I noticed that I genuinely liked one particular artist’s pieces on a very regular basis, so I scheduled a consult.

My favorite 18-year-old and I met with the artist for a few minutes one afternoon about two months ago. I told him what I was looking for, in very general terms. He asked me to email him some ideas/thoughts and that he’d send me a design. He also said we could make any changes I wanted.

I sent him a link to my Pinterest board … and waited. It took several weeks and at least one more email before I heard back: schedule a three-hour session. No design.

I later learned from the office manager that artists don’t typically share their designs until the day of the appointment. Gulp.

This made me very nervous because I was worried about wasting the three-hour appointment (and losing a small deposit) if I didn’t like what he came up with. But I always went back to just how much I have admired his work. Trust the artist, right?

I committed to working with him to make any changes and stopped worrying about the design.

On the morning of my 4 p.m. appointment, I got a short email with an attachment. El husbando and I clicked and both immediately said we loved the design. While it was not at all what I was expecting, the artist captured what I wanted.

I was very much ready and headed out to the appointment later in the day.

We’re there any surprises?

Other than the fact that the design was way bigger than I expected? Not really.

The artist handed me the design in its actual size and I’m pretty sure I gasped. It seemed ginormous.

There was no way I could have the design placed on the front of my left shoulder where I wanted it originally. What to do?

Again, I chose to trust the artist. We talked about making it smaller, but he worried we would lose the detail that made the piece so special.

I needed a placement that would allow me to cover the tattoo because my job entails meeting with a lot of potentially conservative people and I never want to offend.

The artist recommended the back of my shoulder. I was disappointed because I really wanted to have a tattoo I could easily look at. I got it for myself, after all. But I genuinely loved the design and knew that the artist is the expert, so I agreed.

I filled out a few forms, got some general information about tattooing and headed to the back of the shop.

How do you prep for a tattoo?

First, I have to say just how clean everything was. The area looked like a doctor’s office. It felt sterile. Except for the irreverent designs on the walls and the music blaring in the background, that is.

The artist washed his hands, put gloves on and pulled out brand-new, in-the-package, tools. He was meticulous and had me watch the whole process. I’m guessing so that I would feel confident I wasn’t being exposed to some nasty cooties.

We talked about the design, whether I wanted color (no) and whether I wanted any words (again, no).

He then shaved the area before putting the design on my shoulder. There were a couple of large mirrors to help me really see the location and size of the design. It still looked huge and we talked about it. My daughter and I conferred and gave him the go-ahead.

I had to lay (or is it lie) face down. I wore a tank with straps to make sure the artist had access to my shoulder, so it worked out great.

Before he started, a woman next door heard I was getting a shoulder tattoo and proceeded to tell me how she’d had one. Oh? How did it go?, I asked

It felt like I was getting stabbed, she answered. Lovely.

Finally, what does it really feel like to get a tattoo?

It hurts. I knew it would hurt, but some friends said they found it relaxing. I suspect it’s like childbirth where nature ensures time smoothies some of the edges of our memory so that we will reproduce again.

And by hurt, I mean that it really felt like I was getting stabbed a bunch of times, but just on the surface. Was it tolerable? Sure.

Would I have endured it for more than the two hours it took? I have to say that I would have probably needed a few breaks.

After a particularly painful few minutes, the artist explained that he uses different tools for things like lines, shading and even color (we went with only black ink with a tiny bit of white for shading).

Some tools have more needles than others. The shading definitely hurt more than the lines, and the color even more than that.

On a scale of 1-10, with childbirth being a 10, passing a kidney stone an 8 1/2 and stubbing a toe a 5, I’m gonna put this at a 5 or 6.

It was not fun, but the artist distracted me by telling stories and, a few times, doing a bit of dancing.

I was able to adjust my head and arms many times and he asked me several times if I needed a break. Wanting the pain to stop, I just asked him to keep going.

i whined a bit, but was never in so much pain that I cried or cried out.

After almost two hours, he said he was done. He wiped the design off with disinfectant soap and asked me to stay still for a bit.

He uncovered the design…and told me he needed to do a little bit more work. Thankfully, it only took another 3-5 minutes and we were done.

Did it look like the original design?

The original design had a lot of line work and detail, but I didn’t know that the artist would also add a lot of shading, so the final product has a lot more depth than I ever expected. It’s also a lot darker than I thought it would be.

The piece is beautiful. I kept admiring it in the mirror when he was done. We, of course, wanted to get some nice shots so he could make me “Instagram famous.”

Here’s the finished product:

Oh, and, no, it’s not a running tattoo after all! Instead, it’s the outline of Puerto Rico, including both Vieques and Culebra. It features the national flower, flor Maga, and the yellow and black bird that gave me my childhood nickname of Reinita.

What are some lessons learned?

I chose to trust the artist after seeing his work on Instagram for over a year. Had I not seen what he could do, I would have probably given more direction and weighed in a lot more, and probably would have ended with a design that I asked for, not one that I truly loved.

I tried to merge too many things into the one tattoo. I also wanted a coquí frog (it’s very emblematic of Puerto Rico) and the word “corre” or run. Neither could have worked and I let go of the ideas after talking with the artist.

What are the few days after getting a tattoo like?

After we took some pictures, the artist covered the tattoo with what looked like plastic wrap. He asked me to keep it clean for two days, then remove the bandage and wash it with some soap I bought at the shop for a week. He also recommended I use lotion for at least a week.

He said the design would look shinny and dark at the beginning but will fade in the coming years. In the meantime, it could feel like — and may even itch — like a sunburn.

I just took the bandage off in the shower. It came off a little bit like the glue we used to let dry on our hands and peel when we were kids. It felt a lot like taking off a regular bandage, but I was particularly glad that he had shaved the whole area before.

Any regrets?

None. I am glad I chose this particular design, artist and location. While I can’t immediately see my tattoo all the time, I can glance at it with any mirror.

Have you ever gotten a tattoo? How long ago and where? Do you have any tips to share? (You may have to click on “Continue Reading” to leave a comment.)

[Disclaimer: I received Gatorade Endurance formula, energy gels, energy chews and a squeeze bottle plus a free race entry to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming aBibRave Pro (ambassador), and check outBibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!]

While I certainly trained for months for the Run Woodstock 50K in September, my goal race for 2018 has been the Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon. It’s such an iconic race that I’ve been wanting to run for years, and my friends have suggested it several times. Plus, I get to say that I ran to another country. (Read the race reviews on BibRave.com and use code 2018 DETROCKS for 10 percent off race registration).

All of the items on the Gatorade Endurance trial pack.

Training for the Detroit Free Press Marathon has gone really well, even though I had to take a break after having my fourth shoulder surgery about six months ago. I’ve certainly taken things slowly and have been working on both my cross training and on my core.

I’ve also been taking better care of myself overall, even getting seven-to-eight hours of sleep most nights, eating better during the week (weekends are for donuts and pizza!) and making sure I’m properly hydrated.

Enter the opportunity to try out the Gatorade Endurance products because I’m a BibRave Pro (ambassador). I’ve certainly been using all of the items in my trial pack because they will all be available during the Detroit Free Press Marathon:

Endurance Formula

Energy Gels

Energy Chews

Carb Energy Drink

squeeze bottle

Watermelon? It’s actually pretty good.

I’ve been adding the powder to my water for most of my runs and even some of my longer bike rides at home. I really didn’t expect to like the watermelon flavor, but it’s mild enough (and sweet enough!) that it’s been working great for me. I do want to see if I can find it in a sugar free version, eventually.

I got to try the vanilla Gatorade Endurance gel.

The gels are super handy and easy to open. The consistency is much more liquid than what I’m used to with my other gels.

I used the Gatorade Endurance chews during my recent 50K.

As for the chews, they’re by far my favorite product in the trial pack. I had used these before and find them easier on my stomach than just about any energy product I’ve tried before. I found the packaging super easy to open, even on the run, and the chews are small enough that they don’t take a lot of work to consume. I can even chew and run, even though I often just wait until a walk break to pull them out of my luggage.

I’m getting a ton of use out of the water bottle.

While I don’t expect to carry the bottle on race day, I have definitely gotten a ton of use while I’ve become reacquainted with our Peloton stationary bike and, often, while I run on the treadmill at home. It’s been helping me make sure I’m really drinking enough, even when I don’t really want to.

I’ll continue to train for the Detroit Free Press Marathon using the Gatorade Endurance products, since they’ll be available on the course. So far, they’re working out great and it’s been a great relief to know that I won’t have to carry a bunch of fuel and fluids on race day — especially since the race discourages big hydration packs because of the international crossing into Canada.

Hope to see you at the starting line!

What are your fall race plans? Is Detroit on your list? (You may have to click on “Continue Reading” to leave a comment.)